Leaving Tracks Read Online Free PDF

just seen. Horrified and angry. I prayed, to every deity available, Hugh had been punished, banned from skating ever again in a USFS or IFS event. I hoped Karma caught up to him.
    I hadn’t realized I had balled my hands into fists until the pain drew my attention to them. Blood was seeping out from where the nails had cut through skin. I took a deep calming breath. I didn’t even know her I reminded myself. I shouldn’t get involved. But the sight of all the blood, the thought of seeing that on the pretty girl by the lake wouldn’t leave my mind.
    I closed the window unable to watch any of the other skate videos posted. She would have a plate in her leg at the very least, I thought as I left the room. That’s why she didn’t skate anymore. At the very worst the medical staff at whatever hospital she had been rushed to had been unable to save the leg and amputated the rest of it off. Either situation would explain the cane she had been carrying. Wesley met me at the bottom of the stairs.
    “List is done.” He waved the paper. “You can head on out now.”
    “Sure,” I took the paper, folded it, and stuffed it into a pocket. “You want me to bring back anything specific?”
    “Just have Morgaine gather what’s on the list. She’ll know what’s what.”
    “Alright then. I’m off.”
    The drive wasn’t long but it gave me time to settle the sick pit in my stomach. It probably wouldn’t do my cause any good if I gave her my sympathy. She hadn’t given me any sympathy when she laughed at my skating. She didn’t seem like the type to want sympathy. Empathy, probably, sympathy not so much.
    She hadn’t mentioned anything about skating while we’d been face to face. She wasn’t a braggart I realized. She could have and it would have shut me up quickly, but instead , she held a simple, normal conversation. Maybe that’s what she wanted. Simple and normal. I could certainly give that to her. I wonder if she liked movies and if I should try that route of simple.
    I pulled the truck right up to porch outside Avala’s kitchen door. Then I began the heavy task of unloading her coolers. Instead of tracking dirt back and forth, that would certainly have Avala handing me a broom and mop, I made five trips up to the porch with the coolers, and the sixth with the eggs. Then I stomped off my boots really, really well before knocking and letting myself in with the eggs.
    “Avala?” Hesitantly I stepped fully into the kitchen then frowned at Avala’s back.
    She was staring out the window that faced her herb garden and the big barn building across their yard. I had never asked what it was and it hadn’t ever come up in polite conversation.
    “Avala?” I said again a little louder and she jumped and whirled with a hand pressed to her heart.
    “Heavens above, North.”
    “Sorry,” I offered a sheepish smile. “I did stomp my boots off and knock before coming in. We’ve got some eggs here for you. I’ve got your coolers outside the door for you. Where you want me to set them?”
    “Just bring them in and set them next to the freezer. I’ll unload them now so you can take them back with you.” She walked over and took the four cartons of eggs.
    “Alright. I have a list for Morgaine from Wesley. Is she around somewhere?”
    “She ’s out back in the rink with Hadley. I’ve no idea what Hadley’s doing over there. It can’t be pleasant for her.”
    “Rink?” I asked as I hauled in the first cooler.
    “That building back there. Ma built Hadley a skating rink so she wouldn’t have to go to Alexandria every day to practice. We set it up for her, but I never thought… Well…” Avala answered absently as she opened the first cooler and began unloading it into the upright freezer that stood right next to her refrigerator. The freezer was slightly bigger than the fridge, required really, when feeding so many.
    “I can go out there. It’s not a problem.” I stated as I set down the last cooler. “If you